1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of completing wellbores in subterranean zones and more specifically to downhole valves.
2. Description of Related Art
Hydrocarbon fluids such as oil and natural gas are obtained from a subterranean geologic formation, referred to as a reservoir, by drilling a well that penetrates the hydrocarbon-bearing formation. Once a wellbore has been drilled, the well must be completed before hydrocarbons can be produced from the well. A completion involves the design, selection, and installation of equipment and materials in or around the wellbore for conveying, pumping, or controlling the production or injection of fluids. After the well has been completed, production of oil and gas can begin.
The completion can include operations such as the perforating of the wellbore casing, acidizing and fracturing the producing formation, and gravel packing the annulus area between the production tubulars and the productive formation.
A flapper valve device is frequently used in a well completion. The flapper valve device is typically included in the production tubular string and used in conjunction with a packer element. The packer element provides a seal in the annular area between the tubular string and wellbore wall. The valve is held open during the well completion operations by an inserted wash pipe. When the wash pipe is removed from the bore of the valve, the valve closes and prevents communication between the completed formation and the wellbore above the valve and packer. Use of this type of device enables additional work to be performed in the well, such as the completion of additional producing zones, without harming the previously completed formation. To initiate production from the formation, the flapper valve device is broken into pieces. The valve is broken either by applying a pressure differential across the valve sufficient to fracture the valve element or by a mechanical means such as using impact jars run on wireline or a percussion drill utilizing coiled tubing.
In vertical wells, the valve pieces will fall to the bottom of the well or inside the gravel pack screens or any extensions that may be attached. Production from the zone can then proceed without the restriction of the valve device.
In horizontal well completions, the debris from the broken valve device can remain within the producing section of the well. This can be problematic due to the possibility of the debris flowing with the produced fluids or becoming an obstacle to later work within the wellbore.
There is a need for an alternative device that can be used when performing well completion operations that will not leave debris within the wellbore.
The present invention provides an apparatus for use in completing a subterranean zone penetrated by a wellbore.
One aspect of the invention is an apparatus that comprises a housing member with a longitudinal bore, an inner diameter, and a valve member located within the housing member that is movable between open and closed positions. A sliding sleeve having a longitudinal bore is disposed within the housing member and can move between an upper position and a lower position. Attached to the sliding sleeve is a seating element where the valve member can seat. When the sliding sleeve is in the lower position, the valve member is held in the open position and communication is established between the longitudinal bore of the housing above and below the valve member. When the sliding sleeve is in the upper position, the valve member is held in the closed position and communication between the longitudinal bore of the housing above and below the valve member is restricted.
The seating element can be of a circular shape and is disposed within the longitudinal bore of the housing member. The sliding sleeve can include a contact surface that contacts the valve member and holds the valve member open when the sliding sleeve is in the lower position. The housing member can comprise a first segment and a second segment, the first segment having a smaller inner diameter than the second segment.
In one embodiment the valve member comprises a flapper type valve that is hinged on one side and located within the larger second segment of the housing member. When the valve member is in its open position, the opening through the longitudinal bore of the second segment can be at least as large as the inner diameter of the first segment. The valve member can also comprise a torsion spring member that urges the valve member towards a location between the open position and the closed position. When the sliding sleeve is in the upper position, the torsion spring member urges the valve member to seat onto the seating element. When the sliding sleeve is between the upper position and the lower position, and the contact surface is not in contact with the valve member, the torsion spring member urges the valve member to be located between the open position and the closed position and to protrude into the longitudinal bore of the second segment.
The apparatus can further comprise a spring element disposed within the housing that is movable between a compressed position and an expanded position. The spring element urges the sliding sleeve into the lower position. When the sliding sleeve is in the upper position the spring element will be in its compressed position.
In one embodiment the apparatus can comprise a mandrel element disposed within the longitudinal bore of the housing, capable of being in an upper position and a lower position. The mandrel element can be rigidly connected to the sliding sleeve.
In another embodiment a shear sleeve member can be disposed within the longitudinal bore of the housing and capable of being in an upper position and a lower position. The shear sleeve member further comprises at least one locking element. When the shear sleeve member is in its upper position, the locking element prevents the shear sleeve member from moving longitudinally relative to the housing member. The shear sleeve member can further comprise at least one shear element.
The apparatus can further comprise a latching element located within the longitudinal bore of the housing and capable of being in a latched or unlatched configuration and in an upper position and a lower position. A latching element can be connected to the sliding sleeve and to the mandrel element. The latching element is connected to the shear sleeve member with at least one shear element. When the shear sleeve member is in its upper position and the latching element is in its upper position and connected to the shear sleeve member, a downward force can be exerted on the mandrel element that will move the mandrel element downward, causing the mandrel element to contact the latching element and forcing the shear element to break and disconnect the latching element from the shear sleeve member. This downward force on the mandrel element can result from hydraulic pressure being applied upon the valve member, this pressure force being transmitted through the sliding sleeve to the mandrel element. When the latching element is disconnected from the shear sleeve member and is in its lower position, the latching element is in its latched configuration and unable to move longitudinally relative to the housing member. When the latching element is in its latched configuration, the sliding sleeve will be in its lower position and unable to move longitudinally relative to the housing member, and the valve member will be in its open position.
One particular embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing member having a longitudinal bore, a first segment, a second segment and an inner diameter. The first segment of the housing member has a smaller inner diameter than the second segment. A valve member is disposed within the housing member and is movable between an open position and a closed position. The valve member can be hinged on one side and have a torsion spring member that urges the valve member towards a location between the open position and the closed position. A sliding sleeve can be disposed within the housing member, having a longitudinal bore and movable between an upper position and a lower position. The sliding sleeve also comprises a seating element on which the valve member can seat. The sliding sleeve can also include a contact surface that contacts the valve member and restrains the valve member in the open position when the sliding sleeve is in the lower position. A spring element can also be disposed within the longitudinal bore of the housing, movable between a compressed position and an expanded position, which urges the spring sleeve into its lower position.
A mandrel element, capable of being in an upper and lower position is disposed within the longitudinal bore of the housing and is connected to the sliding sleeve. A shear sleeve member, capable of being in an upper and lower position is disposed within the longitudinal bore of the housing and comprises at least one locking element and at least one shear element. A latching element, capable of being in an upper and lower position is disposed within the longitudinal bore of the housing and is connected to the sliding sleeve. The latching element is capable of being in a latched and an unlatched configuration and is connected to the shear sleeve member by at least one shear element. When the sliding sleeve is in the lower position the valve member is held in the open position, which establishes communication between the longitudinal bore of the housing above the valve member and the longitudinal bore of the housing below the valve member. When the sliding sleeve is in the upper position, the valve member is held in the closed position that restricts communication between the longitudinal bore of the housing above the valve member and the longitudinal bore of the housing below the valve member.
When the shear sleeve member is in its upper position, the locking element prevents the shear sleeve member from moving longitudinally relative to the housing member. When the shear sleeve member is in its upper position and the latching element is in its upper position and connected to the shear sleeve element, a downward force can be exerted on the mandrel element. Movement of the mandrel element will contact the latching element and will force the shear element to break and disconnect the latching element from the shear sleeve member. When the latching element is disconnected from the shear sleeve member and is in its lower position, the latching element will be in its latched configuration and unable to move longitudinally relative to the housing member. The latching element will restrain the sliding sleeve in its lower position, unable to move longitudinally relative to the housing member, and the valve member will be held in its open position.
The present invention also provides a method of completing a subterranean zone penetrated by a wellbore. The apparatus as described above is positioned within the wellbore with the sliding sleeve in the lower position holding the valve member open. The sliding sleeve is then moved to its upper position, which holds the valve member in its closed position. This restricts the fluid communication through the longitudinal bore of the housing. A force is then imposed on either the sliding sleeve or the mandrel element such that the mandrel element transmits the force onto the shear element, breaking the shear element. With the shear element broken, the sliding sleeve moves to its lower position and thereby opens the valve member and allows communication through the longitudinal bore of the housing.
In an alternate embodiment of the present invention the apparatus is attached to a gravel pack screen assembly, a packer and a work string prior to being positioned within the wellbore. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the packer is set and the valve member is held in its open position. A gravel laden slurry is then flowed through the work string, packer and the apparatus. The slurry is placed between the wellbore and the gravel pack screen assembly.
The method can further include the step of disconnecting the work string from the apparatus and the packer after the gravel laden slurry has been placed. Disconnecting the work string will shift the sliding sleeve into its upper position and thereby hold the valve member in its closed position.
In one embodiment of the invention the valve member comprises a disk having a concave surface on one side and a convex surface on the other side. The valve member can be connected to a collar element that is disposed in a collar groove within the housing member. The collar element can have a collar notch that prevents the collar element from rotating within the collar groove.
In another embodiment the housing member comprises a retaining ring that can engage with the sliding sleeve when the sliding sleeve is in its lower position. The retaining ring can restrict movement of the sliding sleeve when the retaining ring is engaged with the sliding sleeve.
In yet another embodiment a spring sleeve is disposed within the housing and movable between an upper position and a lower position. The spring element urges the spring sleeve toward the lower position. The spring sleeve is held in the upper position by at least one shear element that connects the spring sleeve to the housing member.
In one particular embodiment the valve member has a projection, the projection being capable of restricting the rotational movement of the valve member to movement between the open position and the closed position. The valve member can be disposed within and connected to a valve housing creating a valve subassembly. The valve subassembly is disposed within the housing and is capable of rotational movement and limited longitudinal movement within the housing. In this embodiment the sliding sleeve is likewise capable of rotational movement within the housing and the valve subassembly and the sliding sleeve are rotationally linked. The rotational linkage can comprise a guide in the valve subassembly and a groove in the sliding sleeve wherein the guide is disposed within the groove. When the valve member is in its closed position, the valve subassembly is capable of longitudinal movement within the housing. This longitudinal movement is capable of moving the valve member away from the seating element.
In still another embodiment the sliding sleeve further comprises a linking element. When the sliding sleeve is in the upper position the linking element can attach to the is spring sleeve. When the sliding sleeve and the spring sleeve are both in their upper positions and the linking element is attached to the spring sleeve, a downward force can be exerted on the sliding sleeve that will move the sliding sleeve downward. This downward force will cause a downward force on the spring sleeve and force the shear element to break, thus disconnecting the spring sleeve from the housing member. Once the spring sleeve is disconnected from the housing member, the spring element will urge the sliding sleeve towards its lower position.
The sliding sleeve can further comprise a key slot that can include an upper key stop and a lower key stop. The housing member can further comprise a key element that is located within the key slot and restricts the sliding sleeve from rotating. When the sliding sleeve is in its upper position, the key element will contact the lower key stop to restrict further upward movement of the sliding sleeve, and the valve element will be properly spaced out to be in its closed position. When the sliding sleeve is in its lower position, the key element will contact the upper key stop to restrict further downward movement of the sliding sleeve, and the valve element will be properly spaced out to be in its open position.
One particular embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing member having a longitudinal bore, an inner diameter and comprising a retaining ring and a key element. A valve member is disposed within the housing member and is movable between an open position and a closed position. The valve member can have a torsion spring member that urges the valve member towards a location between the open position and the closed position. A sliding sleeve can be disposed within the housing member, having a longitudinal bore and movable between an upper position and a lower position. The sliding sleeve also comprises a seating element on which the valve member can seat. A key slot is located on the sliding sleeve and is in sliding contact with the key element, thus restricting the sliding sleeve from rotating within the housing member. The sliding sleeve can also include a contact surface that contacts the valve member and restrains the valve member in the open position when the sliding sleeve is in the lower position. A spring sleeve can be disposed within the longitudinal bore of the housing, capable of moving between an upper position and a lower position and comprising at least one shear element. A spring element can also be disposed within the longitudinal bore of the housing, movable between a compressed position and an expanded position, that urges the spring sleeve into its lower position.
A linking element is disposed within the longitudinal bore of the housing and is connected to the sliding sleeve. When the sliding sleeve is in the lower position, the retaining ring prevents the shear sleeve member from moving longitudinally relative to the housing member and the valve member is held in the open position which establishes communication between the longitudinal bore of the housing above the valve member and the longitudinal bore of the housing below the valve member. When the sliding sleeve is in the upper position, the sliding sleeve is attached to the spring sleeve by the linking element, the valve member is then held in the closed position that restricts communication between the longitudinal bore of the housing above the valve member and the longitudinal bore of the housing below the valve member. When the sliding sleeve is in its upper position and the linking element is in its upper position and connected to the spring sleeve, a downward force can be exerted on the sliding sleeve, the resulting movement of the sliding sleeve will force the shear element to break which will disconnect the spring sleeve from the housing member. Once the spring sleeve is disconnected from the housing member and is in its lower position, the linking element is attached to the sliding sleeve, the sliding sleeve is in its lower position unable to move longitudinally relative to the housing member, and the valve member is in its open position.
Another embodiment of the invention is a method for completing a subterranean zone penetrated by a wellbore comprising the following steps: positioning an apparatus as described immediately above within the wellbore with the sliding sleeve in the lower position holding the valve member open, moving the sliding sleeve to its upper position, whereby the valve member is held in its closed position and communication through the longitudinal bore of the housing is restricted, and imposing a force on the sliding sleeve such that the sliding sleeve transmits the force onto the shear element, breaks the shear element and allows the sliding sleeve to move to its lower position, thereby opening the valve member and allowing communication through the longitudinal bore of the housing.
In an alternate embodiment of the present invention the apparatus is attached to a gravel pack screen assembly, a packer and a work string prior to being positioned within the wellbore. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the packer is set and the valve member is held in its open position. A gravel laden slurry is then flowed through the work string, packer and the apparatus. The slurry is placed between the wellbore and the gravel pack screen assembly.
The method can further include the step of disconnecting the work string from the apparatus and the packer after the gravel laden slurry has been placed. Disconnecting the work string will shift the sliding sleeve into its upper position and thereby hold the valve member in its closed position.